Golisano Institute's presence could move along Buffalo Pro Soccer stadium process

EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) — The presence of the new Golisano Institute in downtown Buffalo has a chance at helping out the stadium site selection process for Buffalo Pro Soccer.

Team president Peter Marlette said that billionaire Tom Golisano's purchase of the former Buffalo News building with the intent of turning it into a business school has made the team's preferred site "even more attractive."

Golisano bought the building from developer Doug Jemal earlier this month for $10 million. Jemal still owns the parking lots surrounding the building, where the potential stadium would go.

"One thing about that site that was possibly a little difficult prior to Tom and the Golisano Institute making this investment was you feel like, and all of the studies show, that a stadium down there and development down there should be a catalyst for future development but that Buffalo News building was a difficult re-development," Marlette said prior to a community town hall in East Aurora on Thursday night. "We walked through it a few times with developers and nobody could really think of what it's best use is and nobody thought of the Golisano Institute. That's a perfect use for it."

It is still unclear what a price tag would be for that site now that the building has been re-purposed. Originally the price tag was said to be about $40 million, which would have needed to include state funding. Marlette said the franchise has received new investors in recent weeks and months, in addition to him saying the price tag could potentially come down over time.

"It certainly hasn't hindered the likelihood of that site or the attractiveness of that site, and I'd say it's actually improved it a little," Marlette said.

Marlette and Golisano have not yet spoken to each other but Marlette said they are "aware" of each other. He said he has spoken to people associated with Golisano about the stadium possibility.

Either way, Marlette said they are planning to have a stadium site selected within a month in order to begin play in the 2027 USL Championship season. Thursday was the first time in recent memory that the team has put a timeline on when a decision would be needed after backing out of a stadium deal on Elk Street over the summer due to a dispute with PVS Chemical, a chemical plant next door. Other stadium sites outside of the Buffalo News site remain in play.

"It's going to be time to just pick one and go pretty soon," he said.

Branding, academy director hire

Marlette said the franchise has extended an offer to a candidate to be the team's youth academy director and is in negotiations with that candidate.

Marlette said the team's youth academy will move away from its current site and Elk Street and Lee Street after this year.

"Frankly, that's not a site that will be used by us or anybody going forward," he said.

It was revealed on Thursday that a team name has been decided on, but won't be announced until branding and colors have been finalized.